Media & File Server Bundle for the Foxsat HDR - Release 4 - PART 6

I'm belatedly following on from a query I posted earlier this year, relating to some HD recordings transferred to an external hard drive a few years back (to which raydon replied in #974 in part 5 of this thread and in which it was recommended I use the NASmount package)....

My brain's not working properly today so I'm struggling to get this working :-(

Whatever I try I get the initial message "Succesfully added mount point" followed by a status message "Not mounted" with the following log:

Mon May 30 06:44:27 BST 2016 : ----------------------------------------------------------
Mon May 30 06:44:27 BST 2016 : Starting NASMount Service
Mon May 30 06:44:27 BST 2016 : Virtual USB Drive file exists
Mon May 30 06:44:28 BST 2016 : Loading dummy_hcd Kernel Module
Mon May 30 06:44:28 BST 2016 : Loading g_file_storage Kernel Module
Mon May 30 06:44:28 BST 2016 : Loading cifs Kernel Module
Mon May 30 06:44:30 BST 2016 : Waiting for virtual USB device to be mounted, 1 seconds elapsed
Mon May 30 06:44:31 BST 2016 : Waiting for virtual USB device to be mounted, 2 seconds elapsed
Mon May 30 06:44:32 BST 2016 : Waiting for virtual USB device to be mounted, 3 seconds elapsed
Mon May 30 06:44:33 BST 2016 : Waiting for virtual USB device to be mounted, 4 seconds elapsed
Mon May 30 06:44:34 BST 2016 : Waiting for virtual USB device to be mounted, 5 seconds elapsed
Mon May 30 06:44:34 BST 2016 : Virtual USB device mounted OK
Mon May 30 05:45:27 BST 2016 : Mounting required drives .....
Mon May 30 05:45:27 BST 2016 : Found Gadget on : sda1
Mon May 30 05:45:27 BST 2016 : Finished mounting all mount points
Mon May 30 17:27:41 BST 2016 : Single drive remount initiated from Web Interface .....

I'm running a multi PC network (mainly Windows 7 PCs)
The PC holding the recordings is called video4
IP address is 192.168.0.4
The label of the hard drive containing the recordings is Hitachi_E and it is mapped as the I: drive on my Windows 7 PC.
All my old recordings are in a master folder called Humax.
The recordings consist of two series, each series in its own folder inside the Humax folder so the path of each series folder is:
I:\Humax\series_name_folder

So now to add the mount point:
Server IP Address: 192.168.0.4
Share name: presumably whatever I want?
Mount directory: don't know what to put in here
Username and Password: Am I right in assuming this is the username and password needed to login to my network?
Auto: unticked

Sorry to be dense, thanks for help! :)

Regards


Alan
 
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I'm running a multi PC network (mainly Windows 7 PCs)
The PC holding the recordings is called video4
IP address is 192.168.0.4
The label of the hard drive containing the recordings is Hitachi_E and it is mapped as the I: drive on my Windows 7 PC.
All my old recordings are in a master folder called Humax.
The recordings consist of two series, each series in its own folder inside the Humax folder so the path of each series folder is:
I:\Humax\series_name_folder

So now to add the mount point:
Server IP Address: 192.168.0.4
Share name: presumably whatever I want?
Mount directory: don't know what to put in here
Username and Password: Am I right in assuming this is the username and password needed to login to my network?
Auto: unticked
You will need to share the "Humax" folder containing the recordings on your Windows PC. Right click on the folder in Windows Explorer and select "Properties". There's a tab called "Sharing" in the properties window that will allow you to set up a share name and relevant permissions.

Once you've done this the details for NASMount will be:

Server IP Address: 192.168.0.4
Share name: The share name on the Windows PC created as above
Mount directory: Leave blank if you only want to connect to one external mount point, otherwise give it a name of your choosing to distinguish it from other mount points in the Humax media browser.
Username and Password: An appropriate username and password that has permissions to the Windows share as set up when you created the share
Auto: unticked/ticked depending on personal preferance/circumstances

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks adrianf36. I've done as above but still no joy. Same error messages. I know NASMount is running (as per the appropriate screen in the web interface) so I don't know what else to do.

I'm puzzled but if I can't get it working this way I'll just have to hook up the hard drive direct to the Humax via the USB connector. The last time I did this was when I was copying over the original programmes from the Humax to the Hard Drive way back in 2011! From memory the USB hard drive had to be formatted in ext2 or ext4, can't remember which now! Can anyone advise please? Thanks.
 
Thanks adrianf36. I've done as above but still no joy. ......

I'm puzzled but if I can't get it working this way I'll just have to hook up the hard drive direct to the Humax via the USB connector.

I'm a bit confused as to what exactly you're trying to achieve in the long run. Do you want to transfer files to your Windows machine as a one-off exercise to free up Humax disk space and make the files available to other devices on your network (but no longer available to your Humax to play), or do you want to transfer the files to the Windows machine and also make them available to be played via the Humax as well?

Either way, for the transfer of files itself I would personally recommend FTP. Install one of the FTP packages on your Humax and a client such as FileZilla on your Windows machine. Read the relevant documentation for the FTP package installed on your Humax for the default username and password then connect to the Humax via FileZilla. It's the easiest (and fastest) way to trasnfer files to/from the Humax.

If you want to be able to play the files transferred to the Windows machine via the Foxsat then you will need to crack the NASMount setup. In order to diagnose whether the basics are in place you could try the following from one of your other Windows machines (not the one you created the share on):

Run a command prompt (start->run->cmd.exe) and then enter the following at the prompt:

Code:
net view \\192.168.0.4

This should come back with a list of shares available on the 192.168.0.4. You should see the share listed that you previously created. If you don't then the share is not visible on the network to other machines.

You can also try (from the command prompt on another Windows machine):

Code:
net use * \\192.168.0.4\<sharename> /user:<username> <password>

e.g.

Code:
net use * \\192.168.0.4\myfiles /user:myuser mypassword

This should connect(map) a drive on the windows machine to the share you set up.

Report back the findings of the above. A prime suspect if there are issues would be firewall software on the 192.168.0.4 machine preventing connections to the share from other machines. You could prove this by temporarily disabling the firewall and tring again.
 
I'm a bit confused as to what exactly you're trying to achieve in the long run.
Sorry I should have repeated the gist of my previous message. I transferred the HD tracks to an external drive way back in 2011 (via the USB connection on the Humax box!) and what I am now trying to do is to play them back from the Windows PC via the Humax....

Either way, for the transfer of files itself I would personally recommend FTP.
--------<snip>------
It's the easiest (and fastest) way to trasnfer files to/from the Humax.
Indeed, this was before I discovered this forum/thread and the existence of the Web Interface. Transferring via USB was like pulling teeth, TG for the FTP route which I have since used.
If you want to be able to play the files transferred to the Windows machine via the Foxsat then you will need to crack the NASMount setup. In order to diagnose whether the basics are in place you could try the following from one of your other Windows machines (not the one you created the share on):

Run a command prompt (start->run->cmd.exe) and then enter the following at the prompt:

Code:
net view \\192.168.0.4

This should come back with a list of shares available on the 192.168.0.4. You should see the share listed that you previously created. If you don't then the share is not visible on the network to other machines.
All the shares are visible correctly and accessible on the second Windows PC.
You can also try (from the command prompt on another Windows machine):

Code:
net use * \\192.168.0.4\<sharename> /user:<username> <password>

e.g.

Code:
net use * \\192.168.0.4\myfiles /user:myuser mypassword

This should connect(map) a drive on the windows machine to the share you set up.
That reports back that drive T: is now connected and that the command completed successfully.
Report back the findings of the above. A prime suspect if there are issues would be firewall software on the 192.168.0.4 machine preventing connections to the share from other machines. You could prove this by temporarily disabling the firewall and tring again.
Doesn't appear to be a firewall issue. I am in the process of migrating most of my network over to Linux Mint, the one PC that I have fully converted over also sees all shares and is able to access them.

But again when I use the Webif (Firefox and Chrome on both Windows PCs and the Linux Mint PC), it says that a mount point has been created, then a few seconds later the warning in red "Not mounted" as before.

If I press the Media button on the Humax remote, then press the Red button to change device it allows me to switch between HDD and USB1. When on USB it shows in the top right of the screen "USB1 12%". Underneath sda1 is listed but is empty when I enter on that.

But this leads me onto another idea. What if I use the CLI in Linux Mint to mount the share directly onto the Humax? I'm very much a Linux Newbie so I'd need hand holding as to what to type.

Thanks
 
All sounds okay so far then. You can connect to the share from another Windows machine.

So details for NASMount should be:

Server IP Address: 192.168.0.4
Share name: The share name you used in the "net use" command previously
Mount directory: Leave blank
Username and Password: Username and password you used in the "net use" command previously"
Auto: unticked/ticked depending on personal preferance/circumstances

Post a screen shot of the NASMount configuration please if you still can't get it working after trying the below.

Once you have set up the share in the NASMount settings page, click the "Mount" button next to it and provide the logs.

Last thing .... if the share name on the windows PC is not "simple" (no spaces, non-alpha numeric characters) then make it "simple" for the purposes of diagnosis. Same applies to the user name and password you're using. There was a post to this thread (or an earlier part of it) a while ago where a user with an obscure (very) complex password was having difficulties with NASMount. Don't have time to trawl for that now so easier to make all three things simple, alphanumerics (no spaces) for the time being until we get it working.

Sounds like you're 95% of the way there though!
 
But again when I use the Webif (Firefox and Chrome on both Windows PCs and the Linux Mint PC), it says that a mount point has been created, then a few seconds later the warning in red "Not mounted" as before.

Umm .... only just spotted this when re-reading my previous post. Yes, that is exactly what will happen when you create the mount point initially. it will not be automatically mounted unless you manually do so.

There should be a button to "Mount" it once it is created. This will happen automatically on reboot or power up from standby if you tick the "Auto" box when you create the mount point. Otherwise you will need to mount it manually by clicking the "Mount" button next to the mount point definition in the settings page.
 
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I've been using the CF for an age, with no problems (apart from needing to use VLC to play the files on across the network on my Linux distro, which doesn't have the following correct FF plug-ins for playback).
  1. vlc-plugin-pulse
  2. mozilla-plugin-vlc
  3. libavcodec-extra-52

I've just spent a couple of mostly fruitless days attempting to access the HDR over an internet connection, (using a mobile 4G connection at the client end) and haven't managed to get a file to play, despite reading the "Accessing Webif over the internet" guide several times.
I figured that "port forwarding" is called something else in my Huawei HG533, and managed, once, to be able to see the web interface by adding the forwarded port to my internet facing IP address, though I still couldn't play the files with Chrome/Android, (maybe I should have used VLC or Kodi?)

I'm aware that I don't have a fixed IP address as such, though the router is never off, so it doesn't change unless I reboot; but I haven't been able to access the HDR a second time using the same address, I just get the message "This site can't be reached xx.xxx.xxx.xxx:777 refused to connect".

Is there a discussion somewhere in the threads that I could be pointed to, or a tutorial apart from the (otherwise excellent) one in the Webif documentation?

Tearing my hair out. :confused:

:D

EDIT: I rebooted the router, got a new IP address, and tried to forward the port again using the new address, but still get the same message. :(
 
@adrianf36 Apologies for the delay in responding - the last few weeks have been a nightmare as I've been suffering with a horrendous gum infection which I can't shift even though I've had umpteen lots of antibiotics :-(

Anyway, finally managed to look at this again just now. I ticked auto when creating the mount point and after rebooting the Humax I am delighted to say that it works superbly. I found that it buffers too much playing through a Windows PC so I've transferred the hard drive to a Linux Mint PC and that plays smoothly.

So, thanks again for your help, it's very much appreciated.

Alan
 
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I've been using the CF for an age, with no problems (apart from needing to use VLC to play the files on across the network on my Linux distro, which doesn't have the following correct FF plug-ins for playback).
  1. vlc-plugin-pulse
  2. mozilla-plugin-vlc
  3. libavcodec-extra-52

I've just spent a couple of mostly fruitless days attempting to access the HDR over an internet connection, (using a mobile 4G connection at the client end) and haven't managed to get a file to play, despite reading the "Accessing Webif over the internet" guide several times.
I figured that "port forwarding" is called something else in my Huawei HG533, and managed, once, to be able to see the web interface by adding the forwarded port to my internet facing IP address, though I still couldn't play the files with Chrome/Android, (maybe I should have used VLC or Kodi?)

I'm aware that I don't have a fixed IP address as such, though the router is never off, so it doesn't change unless I reboot; but I haven't been able to access the HDR a second time using the same address, I just get the message "This site can't be reached xx.xxx.xxx.xxx:777 refused to connect".

Is there a discussion somewhere in the threads that I could be pointed to, or a tutorial apart from the (otherwise excellent) one in the Webif documentation?

Tearing my hair out. :confused:

:D

EDIT: I rebooted the router, got a new IP address, and tried to forward the port again using the new address, but still get the same message. :(
Most ‘hair pulling’ in persons of at least ‘average intelligence’ is down to poor online support coupled with the paltry information provided in user manuals. The lack of ‘advanced’ information in the Foxsat user manual is no exception and is surpassed only by the even more abysmal user information supplied with most Huawei products USB dongles, modem/routers included.

It is also far from helpful that they frequently use different terminology to what most of us are accustomed to. As you’ve mentioned in your post … "port forwarding is called something else in my Huawei HG533”. I don’t really know why they bother translating from Chinese to English for all the difference it makes. Although, who’s to say, it may well be the translator who is the ultimate culprit for such ambiguities!

For what it’s worth, I have a Huawei B593 4G modem/router connected to a Foxsat via a Wi-Fi adapter but I can own up to having no experience in regard to contacting the Foxsat from a remote location over the Internet. So apologies if I’m wasting your time mentioning something you’ve already considered and ruled out.

But it strikes me that you DO need to first set up a fixed IP address before embarking on additional measures like Port Forwarding etc.

DHCP leases do expire and DHCP connections are occasionally lost for other reasons that no one seems able to explain. Although my router is also permanently on, the Foxsat is generally left in standby, in effect ‘off’ (?) overnight and I did, initially, albeit rarely, experience a ‘failed to connect message’ until I set up a permanent IP address for the Foxsat and configured my Huawei modem/router accordingly.

Even then, after several weeks of un-interrupted usage and a fixed IP address, I once again got a ‘failed to connect’ message out of the blue, and like you, I spent several more days pulling my hair out until I figured out that re-configuring the DNS Address on the Foxsat effected a permanent solution.

Other than that, there are several posts on these threads (Parts 1-6) offering advice on accessing the Foxsat from a remote location, even ‘abroad’. But you have my sympathies trying to locate what you may require amongst the mass of other information provided on here.

What is badly needed at this stage is an ‘Index of Contents’ to help narrow down the searches. But it would take some sort of a martyr with masochistic tendencies to undertake such an enterprise.

Post back if you feel my Fixed IP address/Huawei router config. information might be of some use to you …albeit based on my solely ‘in-house’ experience.
 
Hi, Just retuned my freesat box using a south of england post code so i can pick up itv-hd instead of itv wales hd and now i cant see itv hd in the epg 7day guide. I have made sure that it has ticks in hd and genral boxes in webif channel lists but no joy. I have restarted the humax box a couple times etc any help much appreciated :)
 
How do things look today now that a housekeeping cycle has been completed (assuming your box was in standby overnight)?
 
Hiyuh. Thanks for your reply. Haven't checked but will do when I get home thanks
 
You seem convinced that the issue is related to the custom firmware which I very much doubt. I would suggest that you re-flash with the standard Humax firmware to prove the point.

You mention in a previous post that you think your loader is out of date. If you can't find the current loader anywhere else (U7_54) then go to one of the other forums (can't post a link - hummy-dot-tv) and in the Foxsat HDR forum look for the thread "Foxsat-HDR Locked Up" and in Post #11 raydon has kindly provided a link to a ZIP file for this version of the loader.

If your problem still persists with the latest loader and the stock Humax firmware then I would suggest that there is a fault of some kind on your box. If not, you could try installing the Custom Firmware again and see what happens.
Humax Foxsat-HDR Bricked?, Broken?, Dead?, Unresponsive, Blank/Blue Display Panel.

Ok guys … second attempt ….
I was extremely disappointed by the reception (more so the lack of it) which I received on here to my original post (Part 6 #2).
It was never my intention to ‘offend’ anyone by my comments which appear to have been totally misconstrued. Based on the glowing reports from a huge volume of satisfied users I was reluctant to consider (and still am) that the CF could have been in any way responsible. And it was in that light I had intended my original post to be viewed.

Yet it has to be considered an extraordinary coincidence that within a week of the CF being installed a box that had functioned perfectly for several years, suddenly crashed and that this twilight zone, Zombie mode, has seemingly become the ‘default’ mode ever since.

I think I’ve tried everything I could find on this thread to resolve the problem but in the end I had to admit defeat and I eventually bought a replacement Foxsat-HDR primarily because I still haven’t lost faith in the CF and greatly appreciate the added functionality provided by the custom firmware as opposed to a new 1100S . The question now is, without knowing what actually caused the original problem dare I ‘risk’ putting the CF on the new box as I would like to do?

(Try telling ‘the missus’ that the CF couldn’t possibly have been involved!)

Assuming that the CF can’t have had anything to do with this issue, little discussion from those intimately familiar with both the Factory Firmware and the CF’s additions to it as to what other possible causes might have been responsible, would be very reassuring when considering installing the CF again on the new box.

Apologies in advance for the length of this post, but I don’t know how the exact details you might need to advise on such an erratic and unpredictable issue could be explained any better.

With a blank blue display panel showing in the morning, by one means or another (generally by disconnecting at the mains for periods varying from 2hrs to overnight) if I’m lucky I initially get a red LED then “CF 4.1.3” displayed first (odd?) which then fades to just the red LED and clock showing on the display panel. (Same minus the clock in power saving mode).

From that point on it’s in the lap of the gods whether on some rare occasions pushing the standby button, will now encourage a Boot sequence to proceed normally. Sometimes with CF removed (including the ‘opt’ folder) and FF re-installed it goes directly to ‘Boot’> up and running. Similarly sometimes with CF installed “Boot” > CF 4.1.3 > up and running.

But most of the time, with a blank display panel showing in the morning, pushing the standby button (with either FF or CF installed) only results in the red LED fading and the blank blue display panel and un-responsive box as before. Disconnecting from the mains or by the rear rocker switch for hours at a time (even overnight at times) makes no difference until the box itself (seemingly at some point of its own choosing) decides to cooperate and pushing the standby button all of a sudden has the desired effect.

Once successfully booted, the box continues to function perfectly for the rest of that day and any standby button ‘ons’ and ‘offs’ and/or “AC power-off, power-ons” throughout the day result in a normal Booting up process also. Left fully-on (i.e up and running) for several days it continues to function perfectly (CF included). It seems that it’s only when put in standby overnight that the next push on the standby button the following morning will invariably result in the same twilight mode as before.

One other thing I have noticed (thanks to the CF being installed) is that on those one or two rare occasions where the box has come out of standby normally in the morning, the overnight housekeeping had been successfully completed. When a next-morning-boot attempt fails, the housekeeping also has failed and the most recent update showing is the one immediately preceding the last successful morning start up from standby.

It does seem that more often than not, something happens in standby overnight which prevents the overnight housekeeping phase /boot sequence from completing correctly and prevents a normal boot up from standby the following morning.

Edit : Left in standby two nights ago CF booted normally the following morning but housekeeping had NOT been updated. This morning, left in standby overnight, blue panel again, left off at mains 30 minutes then > power up > “CF 4.1.3 (first) > standby LED > pushed standby button > Boot > CF 4.1.3 > up and running. Contrary to previous experience, in this instance, although there was the anticipated blank display panel the following morning the Housekeeping HAD been updated overnight. But I'd hazard a guess that left in standby tonight, the blue screen genie will have her way with me once again.

Can anyone make sense of this?

Any help would be appreciated.
 
Ok guys … second attempt ….
I was extremely disappointed by the reception (more so the lack of it) which I received on here to my original post (Part 6 #2).
Not the greatest way to start your post and endear yourself to people who might be able to help you. I accept that some of your comments may have been misinterpreted but still.

Anyway .....

You appear to have a problem that nobody else has ever seen. So it will need to be worked through. Your posts do tend to be on the long side. I appreciate that you are trying to provide as much information as possible but it does take a while to get through your posts. I will attempt to summarise at a very high level because that, I think, is where you need to start with the troubleshooting. So, in a nutshell:

Your Humax seems to have some sort of issue during the power up/coming out of standby process whereby it becomes unresponsive. It is occasionally possible to get it to boot and, if it does, it runs in a stable fashion until it is next powered down/put into standby.

On the assumption that this summary is correct (please confirm - a simple "yes" or "no" will do) I would suggest the following fault-finding steps in the first instance. Having bought a second Humax of the same make/model you have, I think, made this much easier.

Step 1: Does the new Humax work as expected in ALL respects running against the same TV, on the same HDMI input, with the same cables, the same LAN connection, the same power socket the same EVERYTHING? i.e. in EXACTLY the same set up and configuration as the first (broken) Humax. Is the new Humax 100% stable over a reasonable period of time in this configuration?

If the answer to the above questions is "yes" then you have mentioned that you have tried the "broken" Humax with the factory firmware. So I assume that you are able to somehow get it to boot to install this from a USB stick. If not, please explain what you meant when you speak of running the factory firmware.

Step 2: Install the factory firmware on the "broken" Humax. Confirm that the symptoms still persist.

Step 3: Swap the power supplies between the good and the "broken" Humax. Does the problem follow the PSU or stay with the box?

Step 4: Swap the hard disks between the good and the "broken" Humax. Does the problem follow the HDD or stay with the box? (Make sure you have the SAME factory firmware on both boxes before you do this).

Let us know how you get on with the above.

I'm mildly intrigued as to how you have installed the factory firmware and boot loader on the broken box given that it has problems booting. Is this a process which it runs reliably or do you have to "fiddle" with the box in the same way in order to get it to install the factory firmware from the USB stick?
 
Sincere thanks adrianf36 for this detailed reply it’s almost as long as one of my posts. (joking!) so with the best of intentions, I can’t see how I can avoid a similarly lengthy reply!

Q1. The answer to your first question is broadly speaking ‘yes’ although it would seem that if powered off at the rear, or switched off at the mains socket whilst still up and running i.e without putting it in standby first, it will almost certainly boot up normally when power is restored the following morning. I cannot be certain this is always the case but I am 95% certain that it is. You’ll have noticed my closing comments in the previous post re housekeeping and associated boot processes seemingly not completing.

Step 1. Depends what you consider is “a reasonable period of time”? I’ve only had the new box set up for a few days and so far it has functioned flawlessly with all the same connections. The TV I’m connecting it to is of the older Scart socket generation (like myself) so HDMI connections aren’t an issue. Re LAN connection, I haven’t yet risked installing the CF so LAN comparisons aren’t possible at present. So to all intents an purposes the set up is exactly the same.

Re installing the FF : as explained previously, once I’ve managed to eventually get the box to boot up (power off and power on again at the rear rocker switch or the mains socket and keep trying the standby button at varying intervals (30 mins, several hours, overnight) until at some point the box eventually decides to respond, at that point it will then behave itself and function perfectly for the rest of that day. I can put it in normal standby, restart from standby, switch power off in standby, switch power back on again, anything I like, and it works perfectly UNTIL I leave it in standby overnight. So once it’s up and running I can install, remove, re-install whichever software I want and it will function perfectly UNTIL I leave it in standby again that night and try bringing it out of standby the following morning.

Step 2 : When I did this initially I thought the problem might have resolved only to be disappointed 2-3 days later. So ‘yes’ with the CF removed (inc ‘opt’ folder) and FF re-installed the symptoms seem to persist.

Step 3 : You obviously haven’t met my missus! Swopping the power supplies over would hold no fears for me whatsoever but whatever chance I might have of being allowed to try installing the CF on the new box there’s a fair chance I’d end up with the old box wrapped round my neck (or worse) if I even mentioned swapping the power supplies.

So, reluctantly, if you'll forgive me, I’ll have to skip past that option for the moment at least. I did check all the capacitors for bulging etc.(although seemingly not often a problem associated with the HDR?) and although it seems faulty capacitors that ‘look’ ok can still be defective, would it always boot up consitently normally after different periods (hours) in standby throughout the day and yet equally consistently fail to power up when left in standby overnight if it was solely the PSU that was at fault?

Step 4 : I’ve tried it with its own HD disconnected .. no change. I’ve reformatted the HD and done a factory reset, no change. I’ve tried a different HD formatted by the box itself, no change. I presume the same results would apply for swapping the HD from the new box to the old but for the same reasons referred to in regard to swapping the PSUs I’ll have to pass on that one as well for the moment!

Re your closing comments, as explained above, once I’ve ‘fiddled’ the box back into the land of the living it behaves perfectly normally for the rest of that day and no further fiddling is required. So installing, removing, re-installing either FF or CF goes without a hitch and doesn’t present any problems.

Thanks again for your interest. I look forward to hearing from you.
 
For your next contribution please look more deeply into making it less lengthy.
Remember that mods have to read them, all!
 
I do take your point. And I haven’t forgotten that ’brevity’ is your middle name. But in fairness I don’t think this particular post was all that much longer than the list of questions/steps I was asked to respond to? I did note however that your reply was timed 3hrs and 13 mins later. Hopefully it hadn’t taken you that long to read it!

I think there are 2 choices with a seemingly complex and convoluted problem like this. Feed the information drip by drip and respond likewise over the course of several days, or get it all out there at the start and allow time for anyone interested to digest and analyse the information provided before offering suggestions or advice. The record of this thread (and believe me I’ve read all of it!) will show that it’s all too easy to get criticised on here for wasting people’s time by not giving them the full picture at the start. In a sense you’re damned if you do, and you’re damned if you don’t.

I tend to work on the basis of 500 words in time, can save 5,000 later.

But I do take your point and I’ll try to do better. Honest!
 
macintosh,

I'm afraid I'm running short of things to suggest. I really think that having a second, working Foxsat at your disposal gives the best opportunity to track down the cause of the issue. Swapping components between the two until the problem "moves" with the component swap would at least point everyone in the right direction. You could also extend the earlier suggestions of swapping the disk and PSU to additional items such as cables etc.

I have only one more thought which may point us somewhere. You say that the box works fine all day once you have got it to boot and continues to do so until the next period in which it is in standby overnight. This led to earlier theories about something odd going on in the housekeeping process (of which I'm not personally convinced - yet). In order to try to eliminate the housekeeping process as a cause, it would be interesting to see if there's any correlation between the amount of time the box is in standby and the likelihood of the problem occurring. Are you able to get the box to boot as early as possible in the morning one day and then leave it in standby all day until last thing at night? It would be best if you can achieve a similar period of standby during the day to the normal period the box would be in standby overnight. Do this for a few days and see if the problem occurrs in this scenario too.

Clutching at straws really. Still think the best bet is to swap components between the boxes.
 
macintosh,

I'm afraid I'm running short of things to suggest. I really think that having a second, working Foxsat at your disposal gives the best opportunity to track down the cause of the issue. Swapping components between the two until the problem "moves" with the component swap would at least point everyone in the right direction. You could also extend the earlier suggestions of swapping the disk and PSU to additional items such as cables etc.

I have only one more thought which may point us somewhere. You say that the box works fine all day once you have got it to boot and continues to do so until the next period in which it is in standby overnight. This led to earlier theories about something odd going on in the housekeeping process (of which I'm not personally convinced - yet). In order to try to eliminate the housekeeping process as a cause, it would be interesting to see if there's any correlation between the amount of time the box is in standby and the likelihood of the problem occurring. Are you able to get the box to boot as early as possible in the morning one day and then leave it in standby all day until last thing at night? It would be best if you can achieve a similar period of standby during the day to the normal period the box would be in standby overnight. Do this for a few days and see if the problem occurrs in this scenario too.

Clutching at straws really. Still think the best bet is to swap components between the boxes.
Thanks very much for that, adrian. Sorry I missed the reply until now. Been busy all day, a lot of the time on the computer but I never got the “new post’ notification which I tend to rely on.

Rightly or wrongly, the conclusion I had come to myself was that housekeeping has to be involved. When I leave the HD sitting outside the box but still connected and the box left in standby overnight I get the blank display panel in the morning and at the same time I can hear the HD is definitely spinning enthusiastically but nothing is actually happening.

What I have also noticed is that when I’ve then powered down at the mains and eventually have managed to ‘fiddle’ the box back into action by a power-up (sometimes hours later) the box starts up by going into standby and needs a standby button press to boot up. But the strange thing is that at that point, rather than going through the normal ‘Boot’ > ‘CF 4.1.3’ > up and running, I get no ‘Boot’ first, just CF 4.1.3 to start with, and when that has completed rather than coming on (up and running) it relapses into standby mode again. But I can tell for certain once I’ve got it that far that the next press on the standby button will give a normal “Boot > CF 4.1.3 > up and running.

Correct me if I’m wrong but from my limited understanding of how the CF actually functions my understanding is that the normal FF boot process is interrupted and ‘hands over’ to the ‘opt’ file on the HD which results in some additional scripts being run before returning to complete the process with the FF.

I get the impression that something connected with the housekeeping interrupts the ‘handover’ or ‘return’ steps in the process and that the boot process is left hanging somewhere in between. The curious thing is why a power-down/power-up wouldn’t resolve this say 30 mins later which you would expect (a lot sooner even) with any computer, and yet at some random and indeterminate time later it will.

Even curiouser … it doesn’t, at that point, return to the start of a normal boot process but instead seems to return to exactly where that interrupt occurred i.e between “Boot” and “CF4.1.3. in the normal CF boot process. But in this instance rather than CF 4.1.3 proceeding to ‘on, up and running it goes back into normal standby once that has completed and only then when the standby button is pressed does the full CF boot process start correctly (at the beginning) and complete correctly when finished.

Re: leaving it ins standby for an equivalent number of hours throughout the day as it would typically have been left overnight. I did consider and investigate that possibility by, on one occasion only, leaving it ‘undisturbed’ in standby from 10am till 7pm and it had no trouble coming out of standby at that point.

The mischief definitely seems to happen in darkest hours of the night! Also, if at the end of the day, if I just pull the plug (in the midst of a programme) it will boot up perfectly normally with a power-up the following morning. The whole thing is entirely weird. It’s as if the box has a life of its own,particularly after hours. My missus reckons “its ‘aunted!” and I’m beginning to think she may be right.
I was hoping that someone on here would have the direct line to Ghostbusters but it's starting to look rather unlikely?
Any further thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

@logi
Apologies logi, I really did try my best with this one. But sometimes when accuracy is essential brevity has to take second place.
 
:thumbsup:
 
Might I suggest that in the interest of brevity, one thumb ought to have been sufficient?:D
 
Even now, two posts when one would have done?????:facepalm:.:rotfl:
 

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